Vietnam dissident Khoi urges FB to protect freedom of expression

Mai Khoi, a dissident musician dubbed Vietnam’s Lady Gaga, has appealed to
Facebook’s directors to safeguard freedom of expression as the government looks
to bolster its control of the web.

With 53 million users, Facebook is extremely popular in Vietnam -- where the
internet has become a battleground for activists like Khoi.

A controversial cybersecurity bill, due to come into effect in January, will
require internet companies to remove "toxic" content and hand over user data if
asked by the communist government to do so.

It also requires firms to host servers in-country, which has sparked fears
of further government meddling.

"Protecting freedom of expression should be an official policy of Facebook,
but sadly, it’s not," Khoi told AFP during an interview at the city’s
airport.

"Facebook is the only space in Vietnam where we can talk freely, express our
mind freely and we can access uncensored information, and sometimes organize
the peaceful protests. That’s why the government is scared. So now they try to
control Facebook," she said.

"The crackdown is very heavy."

Banned from selling her CDs and organising concerts, Khoi performs secret
gigs away from the watchful eyes of police -- and is now afraid of becoming an
online target.

Facebook and Google have so far declined to comment on Vietnam’s impending
cybersecurity law, though rights groups have slammed the bill.

Khoi said during Friday’s meeting with Facebook, she urged the company to
prevent government supporters abusing the network’s community standards to
silence dissidents.

"Facebook said they already worked on this. But in reality, in Vietnam, many
independent journalists and activists have their accounts locked and the post
deleted every day," she added.

Placed under informal house arrest in late 2017 after she brandished an
anti-Donald Trump sign when the US president visited last year, Khoi was also
banned from running in parliamentary elections a year earlier.